Book-Mad-Mum

The Christmas Wedding by Dilly Court My rating: 5 of 5 stars The first flakes of snow are falling when Daisy Marshall, secretly engaged to her master's son Julian, finds herself jilted at the altar. Dismissed from her job as a governess she returns to London to live with her aunt and uncle but when they decide to retire to the small village of Little Creek, nestled on the coast of Essex, Daisy joins them. There she is warmly welcomed - but the village is poverty-stricken, most of the them are living in squalid conditions, suffering under a cruel landlord Squire Tattersall. And when cholera hits, the villagers are truly in dire straits. Determined to help, Daisy makes new friends in earnest doctor Nicholas and dashing smuggler Jay - but also dangerous new enemies, who threaten to destroy everything she's built. I found the characters likeable and the story was compelling with lots of twists and turns, so much so that I often felt that the page...

Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella My rating: 5 of 5 stars I arrived quite late to the Sophie Kinsella party, but I'm glad I found my invite and stumbled in!! In this book we meet Emma as she is sitting on a turbulent plane, convinced that these are her final moments on earth, she starts telling the handsome American man sitting next to herall her innermost secrets. How she scans the backs of intellectual books and pretends she's read them, how she does her hair up like Princess Leia in her bedroom, how she feels like a fraud at work and the coffee machine makes terrible coffee. If ever there was a soul to bare it was Emma's but of course, she survives the flight. The next morning the famous founding boss of the whole mega corporation she works for is coming for a look at the UK branch. As he walks around, Emma looks up and realises...It's the man from the plane. What will he do with her secrets? He knows them all - but she doe...

Wham! George Me by Andrew Ridgeley My rating: 3 of 5 stars As a Wham! fan back in the day, I was really excited at this book, however, I was so disappointed. I was expecting a different take on the story of two best friends entering into the pop kingdom, however, it was just the same old stories, mixed with a little resentment and bitchiness. A friend said he thought it was written tongue in cheek, but I'm not convinced. I wouldn't even recommend this to a friend - normally I hand my read books onto friends but this one will be going straight to the charity shop! View all my reviews

Summer at Hope Meadows by Lucy Daniels My rating: 5 of 5 stars I picked this book up at work as it was left in the canteen in our "library corner". I was initially drawn to the cover and thought "that's a bit of me!" When I started to read the first couple of pages, I realised that I already knew one of the characters Mandy Hope and the reason I knew her was because I used to read my son the Animal Ark books when he was little. After that I was on a trip down memory lane, and thought it was such a brilliant concept by the publishing company to bring back a young character who is now all grown up. I wasn't disappointed and loved the story although it had a heart wrenching bit in the middle, but that's what you'd expect. Thankfully there are several books in the series, so I have now ordered the next one (which is based around Christmas - my favourite time of year) and I can't wait to get started although I have ...

The Love Solution by Ashley Croft My rating: 4 of 5 stars Sisters Sarah and Mollie were always close but when their parents were killed in a car crash when the girls were young, they grew even closer. Elder sister Sarah went on to become a tiara designer whilst Mollie got her dream job in a science lab working on a top secret project. New Years eve is a turning point for both sisters – Sarah receives some life changing news, and Mollie decides to make a move on her boss at the NYE party!! However life doesn’t turn out how the sisters expect it to!! Ashley Croft is the pen name for Philippa Ashley, a favourite author of mine, and this book does disappoint. I adored the relationship between the two sisters, even when it got complex, it was lovely to see them pull together rather than apart. This book has everything, sad times, surprise elements and moments of laugh out loud comedy, I especially loved the bum in the face during the first tandem ride! I...

The Things I Know by Amanda Prowse My rating: 5 of 5 stars At the start this book the reader is introduced to Thomasina, who is known as Hitch. She lives a sheltered life with her parents, who have cossetted her due to her physical appearance, on their farm. She is kept busy running the Bed and Breakfast business but secretly dreams of a life away from the farm and away from her suffocating parents. When her brother John get a job in America, Hitch fears that her dreams are slipping away and with her hens for company she reluctantly accepts her fate. Little does Hitch know that a booking at the B&B for a Mr Grayson Potts will develop into an unlikely friendship between the two of them. This is a beautiful book about love, friendship and looks at life outside “the norm. The words flow from the page, encouraging you to keep reading – Amanda Prowse really is a wizard when it comes to creating magical stories that draw you in. View all ...

The Woman at 72 Derry Lane by Carmel Harrington My rating: 5 of 5 stars Stella and Rea are neighbours who appear to have nothing in common, but on closer inspection they have. Stella is trapped in a marriage she can’t escape and Rea is trapped in her house suffering from agoraphobia when fate throws them together. This is a story of loss and heartbreak but also features bravery and friendship which shine through in the characters. I loved this book – I loved the description of the family holiday, especially when they got the room upgrade, and then when I carried on reading the book the following day and realised what happened it took me completely by surprise and rocked me to the core. The writing, description and characters were written beautifully and a difficult subject was dealt with in a very emotional and sensitive way. Carmel Harrington is now one of my favourite authors and to see that the character Rea was named after a friend of mine was a ...

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine My rating: 5 of 5 stars The story starts with Amber befriending wealthy golden girl Daphne who appears to have it all – the big house, the clothes, the loving husband, but Amber has plans. Bonding over their mutual grief for the loss of their sisters both the Cystic Fibrosis their friendship grows quickly but not all is as it appears. I’m not going to say any more as I would hate to spoil it for you, and you really need to read this yourself. Wow! What a book – I had read lots of positive things about this on social media, and to be honest, I resisted jumping on the band wagon for a while, but I truly wish I hadn’t. The story drew me in right from the start, it was dark and sinister in parts and had more twists and turns then a roller coaster ride at Alton Towers. I loved this book so much I am telling everyone I know to read it!!! Do yourself a favour, beg or borrow a copy and read this today – it’s a remarka...

A Perfect Cornish Summer by Phillipa Ashley My rating: 4 of 5 stars Ten years ago, Porthmellow resident Sam Lovell and her friends came up with the idea of holding a food festival to attract tourists to their town. Over the years, the festival evolved and drew the attention of celebrity chefs. Despite running her own catering business Sam and her team always pull out the stops but this year at the last minute their celebrity chef pulls out and committee member Chloe steps in and books a replacement who knows the area. The replacement turns out to be Gabe Matthias who left Portmellow several years before he became a famous chef. What Chloe doesn’t know is that Sam and Gabe already know each other, and she has inadvertently stirred to pot – will it all work out or will it be a recipe for disaster? I really loved this book and the characters were likeable and well written. The setting in Cornwall was fantastic especially as I read this on a rainy Sunday...

The Flat Share by Beth O'Leary My rating: 4 of 5 stars When Tiffy Moore’s boyfriend Justin leaves her for another woman, she starts flat-hunting. Determined to stand on her own too feet she starts searching for flats to rend when she comes across a listing for a double bedroom flat in Stockwell which is available immediately. The only hitch is that you have to share the flat with a twenty-seven-year-old palliative care nurse Leon who works nights and is away weekends. Tiffy agrees to the terms and conditions and becomes Leon’s flatmate. They never see each other and communicate via post-it notes and over time, they become friends chatting and offering words of wisdom to each other. This was a lovely, happy novel which was ideal to read on Spring evenings. The characters are truly believable and engaging, and I really loved Tiffy and wish she could teach me to crochet (I’ve always wanted to learn!!) An enchanting love story that is well worth read...

A Vintage Summer by Cathy Bramley My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is the second Cathy Bramley book I have now read, and I have loved them both, but out of the two of them, this is now my firm favourite. At the start of the story we meet Lottie, a gardener in a Crematorium, who has moved to London to live with her boyfriend Harvey who works as a personal trainer. When the relationship turns sour, and things don’t work out between the two of them, Lottie decides to return home. With no job or prospects her sister finds Lottie a job working as a manager of a local English Vineyard for six months. I don’t want to give away any more of the story, as I want you to enjoy it for yourself. This was the perfect book for the sunny Easter weekend, and I felt a strange serendipity when I finished reading it on Easter Saturday – a date which is mentioned in the book! This really is a must read summer novel – it will make you feel good about life, and if you’re like m...

One Last Wish: A heartbreaking novel about love and loss by Ella Harper My rating: 4 of 5 stars Rose and Nate fell in love, and appeared to have the perfect marriage, until their young daughter Emmie is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour, and the stresses of a terminally ill child take their toll. Emmie an astute eleven year old sees the anguish that her illness causes to her parents and when the cracks start to appear in their marriage, she, along with her counsellor Dr Tom, set about rekindling their love with a series of treasure hunts based around previous dates. This books handles a very emotive subject, no one really wants to address the topic of a child with cancer, however it was dealt with in such a sensitive and caring way that you wanted to turn every page, but not out of morbid curiosity but to see how the beautifully written characters developed. Have a box of tissues to hand! View all my reviews

The Newcomer by Fern Britton My rating: 5 of 5 stars Welcome to the idyllic Cornish village of Pendruggan where at the start of the story we wave farewell to parish vicar Simon who is off to Brazil with wife Penny, and we say hello to new vicar Angela, her husband Robert, daughter Faith and Aunt Marnie. Immersing herself in the community, Angela is shocked when she receives a poison pen letter, but as more letters arrive, she starts to look differently at her friends and neighbours. Who could be doing such a hurtful thing? Although I liked all the characters in this book, Marnie completely and utterly stole my heart, she was larger than life, and had some wonderful tales to tell. It was also lovely to revisit some familiar faces from Fern’s previous book The Postcard. This was a gorgeous story which contained lots of laughs, and a moment which made me choke back tears. Fern Britton is a beautiful storyteller weaving gold out of the words she spins on...

If Only I Could Tell You by Hannah Beckerman My rating: 4 of 5 stars What happened on that morning in 1988 when ten year old Jess caught her 15 year old sister Lilly coming out of the spare bedroom? It was enough to fuel a rift between the two sisters which went on for decades. When their mother Audrey becomes desperately ill, she moves in Jess and her grand daughter Mia due and vows to reunite the two sisters and their own daughter, Phoebe and Mia who have only met a handful of times. I had read about a twist in the middle of the book, so was prepared for it, and I was completely convinced that I’d guessed what it was, but how wrong was I, and when I read it, I was floored by it! The book tells you the family’s back story and then slowly, the truth is out there – for the last few pages I had tears rolling down my cheeks so have tissues at the ready for a beautifully told story. I received an Advance copy of this book from Net Galley in return for a ...

Too Close by Natalie Daniels My rating: 4 of 5 stars Connie is in a Psychiatric hospital and she has no idea why, she has committed a terrible crime which has earnt her the nickname Yummy Monster. At the beginning of the book, we learn about Connie's new friendship with Ness. The two women met at a park where their children were playing and realising that they were also neighbours, their friendship grew with their families more or less merging and they became inseparable. But when Ness’s marriage ends in a bitter divorce, she is suddenly at Connie’s house all the time. It’s all too much, and Connie snaps. Forensic Psychiatrist Emma Robinson is challenged with deciding whether or not Connie is sane enough to stand trial but she sees the softer, vulnerable side to the monster. I loved this book - I really wanted to hate Connie but as her story unfolded I was drawn in and soon I felt sorry for this woman who was pushed to the edge. A wonderful debut...

Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak My rating: 4 of 5 stars It’s Christmas, and for the first time in years the entire Birch family will be under one roof, but for a very specific reason. Elder daughter Olivia, a doctor has been treating victims of an epidemic in Liberia and upon returning home for the festive period, the entire family must now spend a week in quarantine. The decision is made to leave their London pad and spend the festive season in their run-down country pile, Weyfield Hall in Norfolk. Cut off from civilisation and forced to spend time with each other, they soon discover their differences. Younger sibling Phoebe is obsessed with her recent engagement to George and life for her becomes mood boards and seating plans. The two sisters seem miles apart in personalities and interests. Dad Andrew is a restaurant critic who longs for his former career as a war correspondent, but he is harbouring a dark secret that he hopes to keep from the...

The Mother of All Christmases by Milly Johnson My rating: 5 of 5 stars The Mother of All Christmases is about a group of three different women brought together by their pregnancies and the start of an Ante Natal group called the Christmas Pudding Club - named because all the women's due dates are around Christmas. The story follows the lives of the women as some come to terms with a surprise pregnancy, and others fully embrace it. Woven into the story are excerpts from the local newspaper, The Daily Trumpet which are laugh out loud funny!! I especially warmed to Palma, a young woman who embarks on being a surrogate for a couple who desperately wanted a baby and I was gunning for her to have her fairy tale ending. The book isn't a schmaltzy, over the top Christmas read, so it can be read at any time of the year, and there is a particular part which will have you reaching for the tissues but which was written in such a sensitive and caring way....

As Big Ben chimed at midnight on 31st December, I made a conscious decision that I wasn't going to vow to get slim this year (although if I wake up in the morning, and I'm a size ten, I'll be over the moon!) or give up drinking (I'll never forgive myself if the Italian economy went into recession because I'd given up the grape juice!). Instead at midnight I decided that in 2019 I'm going to be a better person, I'm going to hand out free smiles to strangers (even if I appear mentally ill!) I'm going thank the Baristas at Pret every morning, and generally try not to be a grumpy old cow! Today, I turned on Radio 2 to hear the wonderful author Amanda Prowse talking about her latest release "The Girl In The Corner" on the Graham Norton Show. Hearing what she has faced in life so far , and how she just sprinkled love and joy over the airways was inspiring and left me thinking "I want to be like that!" So this year, when faced with a diff...

If Only I Could Tell You by Hannah Beckerman My rating: 4 of 5 stars What happened on that morning in 1988 when ten year old Jess caught her 15 year old sister Lilly coming out of the spare bedroom? It was enough to fuel a rift between the two sisters which went on for decades. When their mother Audrey becomes desperately ill, she moves in Jess and her grand daughter Mia due and vows to reunite the two sisters and their own daughter, Phoebe and Mia who have only met a handful of times. I had read about a twist in the middle of the book, so was prepared for it, and I was completely convinced that I’d guessed what it was, but how wrong was I, and when I read it, I was floored by it! The book tells you the family’s back story and then slowly, the truth is out there – for the last few pages I had tears rolling down my cheeks so have tissues at the ready for a beautifully told story. I received an Advance copy of this book from Net Galley in return for a ...

Shadows in Heaven by Nadine Dorries My rating: 3 of 5 stars My first book of 2019. If I'm honest, it was the lovely cover that initially caught my attention on the shelves in Tescos. I am new to Nadine's books, but being from Irish parentage, I love reading novels about the Emerald Isle. The year is 1945 and the place is Tarabeg in Southern Ireland, two women Rosie and Sarah are waiting for the same man to return home after the war. Both of them are in love with Michael, but it is Sarah he choses amid family feuds, and even murder. About three quarters of the way through the book we are introduced to Mary Kate, Sarah and Michael's daughter, and it is really only then that the story starts. Although a really nice book, a good story and once that is well written, I did think that this is just the precursor to the follow up novel called Mary Kate, which if I'm completely honest, I don't think I'll bother with. View ...